Below is the result of your feedback form. It was submitted by
(xxxx@gmail.com) on Tuesday, September 21, 2010 at 11:05:13
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Name: interested relative
Pastor John, I have been following your website! As a person having some background on cults, I have to say you definitely are heading in that direction.
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I am used to this now. “Cult” has become for this generation an effective pejorative term that has of late become stylish among those who want to demean others. In spite of its over-use, it is remarkable how effective the hurling of that particular insult is, at this time in history.
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What religion suggests relatives should be avoided?
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A number of them do, but I believe that they are misguided to do so. I believe that we should take care of the hearts that God has placed in our lives, to the extent that we can. In fact, I am convinced that the very reason God gives us relatives, friends, work associates, neighbors, and even lets us meet strangers, is to love them and be a positive, healing influence for them.
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And how mighty do you think you are to suggest that in the first place?
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Pardon?
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A religious person is one who is able to forgive, reach out to others in the community/world and help not keep themselves isolated from others and believe they are the only ones to go to heaven!
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Maybe you have contacted the wrong person. Anyone who has been associated with me for any length of time can vouch for the fact that I have consistently (during open meetings of the congregations, even) encouraged the folk here to visit other congregations, to hear what other ministers say, to get to know other believers, and if possible, develop loving relationships with them. I myself have taken my own children, when they were too young to drive, to visit churches and to see what it is like in other places.
Just a few years ago, “interested relative”, I paid for as many young people from here who would, to go on a trip to Nashville, TN, to a national gathering of mostly young believers. All expenses were paid by me, even meals, so that no one would stay home for lack of money. It proved to be a life-changing experience for every one of those young people, as I hoped it would. They loved seeing so many people, about 70,000 in the football stadium in Nashville by some accounts, praying and praising God together. They fell in love with God’s people, the way I did many years ago, so that now they understand Jesus better and the feelings he has for his people, and because they increased in the love of God, they now better understand me and my work.
Let me ask you, “interested relative”, would you be free enough to come to one of our meetings, just to meet these “cult members” and see how you would really feel? You are welcome to come. I think you need to come. It’s awfully hard to speak such evil things about people after you have met them face-to-face, especially these sweet, godly people.
Also, I would like for you to know that in times past, I have received letters much more sarcastic and cruel than yours, and I have forwarded them, in their entirety, to everyone on my mailing list — without making any comments — so that everyone could read those emails without my “interpreting it” for them. No one here is forced, deceived, or manipulated into being here, including your relative, whoever he may be.
I will also forward this email of yours to everyone on my list. Everyone on my list will see everything that you are saying about me (us, really), and I know that everyone of them feels free to agree with you if they want to and, so, make his or her escape from this “cult” before it is too late.
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Even though you choose to brainwash those around you, there are MANY good people in the world, thank God.
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I agree that there are very many good people in this world. I wish I could meet them all, and do something good for them.
But to get to your real point, yours is a cruel and misguided judgment of me and of us. I have already given you just a little of the evidence that would prove, without any doubt to a reasonable person, that your first criticism of me as keeping these people “isolated” is dead wrong. So, why not just stop calling us names and explain to me what evil it is that you think you see among us? Until you establish, openly and fairly, that there is evil here, it is unwise and ungodly for you to condemn.
Socrates once said, “It is unwise to speak certainly about matters of opinion.” I can respect your opinion that we are wrong. But it is unwise for you to declare your opinion with such certainty. You do not know us.
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I just hope that tragedy will not eventually befall your group.
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It might. I don’t know what path God will choose for us in the future. Of course, I hope it will be peace, and not trouble. If you really hoped that for us, though, you would try to help us, not condemn us ignorantly. You would ask sincere questions about our lives and our doctrine instead of heaping baseless abuse on us. From your tone and your harsh words, it seems to me that tragedy is exactly what you would wish to befall us. Maybe that is not the case, but it sure does feel like it, and frankly, it hurts a little.
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How can you live with the way you have influenced people?
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My! Have you taken the time to read the testimonies that are on my website, the web site that you claim to have been following? Or, do they not count?
But again I ask, what have you seen that is evil in the way I have influenced people? Maybe I am missing something that you can help me with. I am willing to hear you.
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I hope that someday your followers realize the truth about your little seemingly sheltered group
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“Sheltered”? Forgive me, but, frankly, that is nonsense. I cannot imagine a more alert, open, and inquisitive group of saints anywhere. I’ve never seen one. Right now, at my suggestion, my daughter is attending the Graduate School of Theology in an accredited seminary in California, being exposed to an incredible array of ideas and systems of belief, and being challenged to decide which way she, in her own heart, will go in this life. I am glad that she chose to go there. And so is she.
Now, tell me, has your pastor ever taken any of his children to other places of worship, or sent them there, so that they can make an informed choice about what they want in life? Has he ever personally paid for a group of young people in your congregation to travel to a religious event, at which event he knows that those young people will hear things contrary to what he himself teaches, just because he wants them not to be “sheltered” but to have enough information to make informed decisions about their faith — based on personal knowledge and experience rather than on tradition and hearsay?
You misjudge us badly.
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…not what Christian life is about…
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Well, you got that right. Christian ministers do not insist that their congregations get out of the nest and put their faith and doctrine to the test, the way that I do. No, my way is not the Christian away of doing things, and I thank God and His precious Son Jesus Christ for that liberty.
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You have tunnel vision
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Christ exhorted us to stay on the “strait and narrow” road that leads to life. I don’t know if you have any farming background, but I learned as a child that if the mule does not have blinders on, to keep his eyes on the rows, it is more likely that he will be distracted and less likely that he will plow a straight row. So, OK. I will grant you this one. I plead guilty to “tunnel vision”. I am keeping my eyes on the goal.
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and , I believe, have made a great materialistic life for yourself…
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If you came to see for yourself what we are doing, and how we are doing it, I suspect that you would not believe the evil things about me that you do. As far as the tithes and offerings that the people here give to me as their pastor, the facts about how all that is handled are provided freely and are on the website that you claim to have been following. If you have not read that part of the website, please do, before making any more allegations against my character.
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but you, too, will have to face your God in the end!
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That is precisely the reason that I stay open to criticism (but do not put on a show of Christian humility when falsely accused), and why I carefully listen to and investigate the teachings and ways of others, and encourage these people here to do the same.
Since you did not sign your name to this email, I cannot address you by name. But I want you to know, “interested relative”, that you are very welcome to come visit us. (I haven’t bitten a visitor in over twenty years now, so it will probably be OK.) Or, all joking aside, if you cannot come, please feel welcome to ask your questions about my manner of life and about the gospel I preach. You will receive straight and simple answers, the kind that Jesus demanded his servants to give.
Thank you for writing. I hope to hear from you again. Until then, my God bless you and yours, and I remain
your servant, for Christ.
Pastor John
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I hope that someday your followers realize the truth about your little seemingly sheltered group
I don’t get it. What’s so wrong with being sheltered? Why does he say we only seem to be sheltered? I think I’m quite sheltered. Since when is it a bad thing to have a shelter? Is one suppose to be homeless?
Our shelter has doors on it, and we go in and out when we please. It has windows too; he used one to contact us. It’s a rather nice shelter really.
Particularly in our pictures and video, we look quite sheltered. I’ve never seen bums (the real ones… not tv) be that happy about life.
In the shelter of his arms,
John